Our History, Mission, Promise & Culture
Our new showroom in 2009
Our History
Irwin's was founded in 1951 by Robert H. Irwin as a Lincoln-Mercury dealership in Laconia. Ford was added a few years later, in 1955. Peter Irwin, second generation, added Toyota in 1979 and then Scion in 2002. Irwin's Used Car Center was built in 1994 and was located at 446 Union Ave in Laconia. Chris Irwin, 3rd generation, in 2009 completed a 12,000 sq foot expansion of their Bisson Ave location, which now totals 72,000 sq feet on more than 15 acres. Laconia Quicklane Tire and Auto Center was started in the late fall of 2010. Hyundai was acquired in 2011 and moved into the renovated used car store at 446 Union Ave in the Winter of 2012. In the Spring of 2013, NH Car Credit, a division of Irwin's, was established.
Irwin's involvement in the community has been a staple in the Lakes Region for years, highlighted by: $50,000 to the Laconia High School Capital Campaign, $25,000 donation to the Laconia Public Library Construction project, $3,500 donated for MS, 100 Turkey's donated to St Vincent DePaul each Thanksgiving, $2,000 donation to the Boys & Girls Club, donations to Community Health & Hospice, the Lion's Club, the Laconia Putnam Fund, and the Lakes Region General Hospital Board of Trustees. In addition, Irwin's has provided for years, at no charge, a winter indoor hitting and pitching facility for local Little League and ASA girls softball, along with donating a $10,000 electronic scoreboard to Laconia Little League. Over the course of the last sixty-plus years, Irwin's has given back to the community in excess of $1,200,000!
In 2023 Irwin's added the Chevrolet franchise to offer the largest selection of new/used vehicles, 2 bodyshops, and 5 repair facilities in Central New Hampshire.
Throughout it all, there remains a constant: "to treat every guest as our best friend."
Our Mission
Our mission is to continuously exceed the expectations of our customers and associates. Our goal is to be the benchmark for excellence in every aspect of our business. The Irwin Automotive Group is dedicated to:
- Delivering exceptional service & value
- Promoting personal & professional growth
- Fostering teamwork & associate involvement
- Demanding the highest ethical standards from ourselves
Our commitment to this mission makes the Irwin Automotive Group a place where people want to work and do business.
Irwin Motors in 1953
The Irwin Automotive Group Promise
Every day, every customer, every experience, we promise to?
Provide every customer with ENGAGED EMPLOYEES. Employees who will listen to you, communicate with you, and treat you with respect. And Employees who will listen, communicate, and treat each other with respect.
Create for our customers a LOYALTY EXPERIENCE. We promise to make this visit a memorable one, one that you feel good about and will want to talk about. We will work hard to earn your loyalty. We will also strive to provide the kind of workplace that builds loyal employees. We know that your loyalty depends on ours.
Support our neighbors with COMMUNITY SERVICE. To serve our community is an honor, and we are duty-bound to assist whenever and wherever we can. We will also be Servant Leaders to our teammates and never ask a team member to do something we wouldn't do.
Continue to build a LONG TERM VISION. We do not want to serve you, our employees, and our community for just today. We pledge to constantly evolve our business model to meet and exceed the needs, wants, and desires of all the people we are privileged to serve.
Our Culture
Our goal is to be the benchmark for excellence in every aspect of our business. We are dedicated to delivering exceptional service and value. Our promise is to create an environment of mutual trust and respect; to promote personal and professional growth; to foster teamwork and associate involvement, and to demand the highest ethical standard from ourselves. Our commitment to transparency and friendliness make our company a place where people want to work and do business.